The Frenchman still remains in east London following three rejected bids by the Hammers from Payet’s former club, Marseille, to take him back to France.

It’s been more than a fortnight since the 29-year-old downed tools, informing Slaven Bilic he no longer wanted to play for the club and has been banished to the U23s at Chadwell Heath ever since.

In the meantime, the Hammers have won two games in a row without Payet in the side against Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough, showing that he and his toxic ways are no longer welcome. Payet has been booted out of the players’ Whatsapp group and banned from the next team night out.

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West Ham are expecting a fourth bid from Marseille before the transfer window shuts but with the club in no rush to sell and preferring a summer sale with a more open market, it’s not a necessity that the attacking midfielder will be on his way in January.

Speaking to the Alan Brazil Breakfast Show on TalkSport, Ferdinand – who came through the youth ranks at West Ham before going on to play for Leeds and Manchester United – said manager Slaven Bilic and the club must continue to take their hard-line stance with the exile.

Ferdinand said: “If I was the gaffer there I would say, ‘listen, until I get what I want for you money-wise, you can sit and rot’. That’s the way I’d be. The club is bigger than any football player, and if the respect has been taken out of the situation then you’ve got to deal with it accordingly.

Dimitri Payet has been forced to train with West Ham's U23s (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

“I can understand the frustration and the anger among the West Ham fans. I think every West Ham fan – or every football fan – if you gave them a chance to play for their club they would cut their right arm off to play. They can’t understand why he’s being paid so much money [but refusing to play].

“A bit more respect is due from Payet because without West Ham, would he have gone to the Euros [last summer]? Would we all be speaking about him? And would he be on the type of money he is now? I don’t think he would because West Ham gave him the platform to become what he is now.

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“Sometimes, not just from clubs but from players as well, there are short memories in this game. He’s got to be a bit more respectful, although saying that we don’t know the ins and outs of the story and what’s gone on behind the scenes, so we have to reserve judgement in some capacity.”